Tribute to the Fallen
by impossible123
Summary: "Under her feet, lay the fragile body of her companion." One-shot thirteenclara AU The Doctor visits her friend's grave after remembering her. Please R&R :)


She never had a chance to visit her friend's grave.

All these years separated

From being taken away forcefully from each other, to spending 4.5 billion years inside a castle to see her again, to finding her again before losing her. Or better,

 _Forgetting her._

* * *

 _December 2015._

The TARDIS landed a few steps away from the opening of the cemetery.

The time lady stepped out of the TARDIS, holding 2 white lilies in her pale, delicate hands, almost matching the colour and fragility of the flowers themselves.

 _The bouquet of flowers in front of Clara Oswin Oswald's gravestone._

Gave her the chills just remembering what had happened that night….. so long ago, when Clara was in her care... Or rather under the care of her dashing, young, bowtie- loving incarnation.

Yet, even this time he had let Clara down. Her companion had died, once again, under her care (her grumpy previous self with the Scottish accent Clara used to laugh about so much).

But some things couldn't be changed.

Clara had embraced her fate and it was time for the Doctor to embrace what had happened too.

She stopped in front of a brand new marble gravestone, having fresh flowers laid in front of it, most from her school colleagues and students.

 _Clara Oswald_

 _23-11-1986 to 21-11-2015_

Just 2 days before her 30th year on Earth. And the time lady hadn't said a proper goodbye to Clara. The last thing she would remember was that the Doctor, or rather the fierce eyebrowed incarnation had forgotten her.

Under her feet, lay the fragile body of her companion.

The Doctor had lost so much... And yet, she could never forget who she had lost. Their ghosts haunted the time lady all her lives

She lowered down and placed the lilies just in front of the gravestone.

 _To my Impossible Girl._

Clara was, and always be, the Impossible Girl to the Doctor.

The girl who had splintered herself in her previous regeneration cycle.

The girl who pleaded the Time Lords to help her.

The girl who softened her previous regeneration's cold heart.

The girl who understood her because she became like the Doctor.

Essentially, they made the Hybrid.

The terror of the Universe.

As she smiled one last time to the name of her former companion, the other half of the Hybrid, as the Doctor breathed a laugh and dried her tears with the back of her hand. Then she turned to head back to leave the cemetery.

"Who are you?" A shaking voice was heard behind her said.

She turned around to find an old lady. Short hair, silver curls, yet her eyes still shone with light she had since she was little, weakly penetrating even through the wall of tears which had built up these last few days.

"Etta." The Doctor whispered.

"Doctor?" Clara's Gran asked, tears trickling down her cheeks.

The Doctor nodded.

"Clara..." Etta's voice trailed off.

Even the Doctor was on the verge of spilling out her tears.

"She died bravely. She was very, very brave."

"Did... Did she die in pain?"

The Doctor held Etta's hand tight in hers. Tears were flowing down the time traveller's rosy cheeks as Clara's scream haunted her once again. Her hearts stuck in her throat as she remembered...

Now that she could.

"But, I guess, she lived a good life." Etta released her rough hand to dry her tears.

"A very brilliant life." The Doctor replied.

Dave soon came.

"Mum? Who is she?"

Etta sniffed.

The Doctor soon explained, in a choked voice.

"A dear friend... of Clara's. I am so very sorry for your loss."

Dave's head bowed down, holding a sob back from reaching his lips.

Yet those eyes….. so vulnerable…..

First his wife, then the thing he cared most in the Universe was taken away from him.

 _Without saying goodbye._

"I don't want to keep you from going to Clara's grave." The Doctor said as she took one last glance to Clara's resting place.

 _Goodbye my Impossible Girl._

Dave nodded in thanks and Etta still had her eyes glistening, yet, she was happy that her grandchild could have such a wonderful life before dying. It may have been a tragic end, but she was brave.

Till the end.

~ _Run, you clever girl... And remember me_ ~

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hope you enjoyed this short one-shot! Any reviews (no flames) appreciated!_**


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